Champions prepare to ROC Barbados

Champions and driving greats from the world's major motor sport series are sizing up their opposition for this weekend's Race Of Champions following today's draw for the event, to be held at Bushy Park Barbados on December 13-14.

The annual end-of-season race, which has been running for over 25 years, brings together some of the world's best drivers from motor sport's major disciplines and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a unique track with two parallel lanes linked by a crossover bridge. This year's track at Bushy Park will be twice as long as recent years, leading to even more speed - and adrenaline…

There are two prestigious titles up for grabs over a weekend of non-stop action and entertainment featuring over 60 individual duels. First, on Saturday December 13 the drivers pair up in teams based on country/region for the ROC Nations Cup. Then on Sunday December 14 all friendly co-operation goes out of the window in the Race Of Champions as they slug it out to be crowned individual 'Champion of Champions'.

ROC 2014 will feature a stunning line-up of motor sport legends drawn from series including Formula 1, Le Mans, MotoGP, IndyCar, NASCAR, World Rallycross and Touring Cars. They will head to Barbados from all corners of the world including the USA, Europe, South America and Australia.

Following today's draw at Bushy Park, many exciting head-to-heads lie ahead for Sunday's Race Of Champions - including Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen racing 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and six-time V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup drawn together with F1 star and reigning ROC Champion of Champions Romain Grosjean plus five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion Mick Doohan and 13-time F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard. This is how they will all line up…

Race Of Champions (Sunday 14 December)

Group A

Romain GROSJEAN, Lotus F1 Team driver, reigning ROC Champion of Champions
Jamie WHINCUP, V8 Supercars Champion 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008
David COULTHARD, 13-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
Mick DOOHAN, 500cc MotoGP World Champion 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994

Group B

Petter SOLBERG, FIA World Rallycross Champion 2014
Kurt BUSCH, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion 2004
Susie WOLFF, official test driver for the Williams F1 team
Fastest ROC Caribbean driver from Team Barbados

Group C

José-Maria LOPEZ, FIA World Touring Car Champion 2014
Robby GORDON, Seven-time Off-road Champion, three-time Baja 1000 winner
Fastest ROC Caribbean driver from the other teams
Esteban OCON, FIA European F3 Champion 2014

Group D

Tom KRISTENSEN, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner
Ryan HUNTER-REAY, Indianapolis 500 winner 2014, IndyCar Champion 2012
Jolyon PALMER, FIA GP2 Series Champion 2014
Pascal WEHRLEIN, youngest ever DTM winner, Mercedes F1 testing in Abu Dhabi

ROC Nations Cup (Saturday 13 December)

Group A

Team France (Esteban OCON & Romain GROSJEAN)
Team Nordic (Tom KRISTENSEN & Petter SOLBERG)
Team Americas (José Maria LOPEZ & Robby GORDON)
Team Young Stars (Jolyon PALMER & Pascal WEHRLEIN) 

Group B

Team Australia (Mick DOOHAN & Jamie WHINCUP)
Team Scotland (David COULTHARD & Susie WOLFF)
Team Barbados (Dane SKEETE & Rhett WATSON)
Team USA (Ryan HUNTER-REAY & Kurt BUSCH)

ROC Caribbean (Saturday 13 December)

Team Barbados (Dane SKEETE & Rhett WATSON)
Team Jamaica (Doug GORE & Jeffrey PANTON)
Team Guyana (Kristian JEFFREY & Mark VIEIRA)
Team Trinidad & Tobago (Franklyn BOODRAM & David COELHO)

Following the ROC Nations Cup on Saturday December 13 there will be the first ever ROC Caribbean, in which host nation Team Barbados take on teams from Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago. The driver from Barbados who sets the fastest time in the ROC Caribbean group stage in the same car will qualify for Sunday's Race Of Champions. The other Caribbean representative on Sunday will be the driver from Jamaica, Guyana or Trinidad & Tobago who sets the fastest time in the group stage of Saturday's ROC Caribbean in the same car. They will then have the chance to take on the assembled field of legends of world motor sport.

Nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen announced his retirement from the World Endurance Championship last month but he will now look to finish his year in style. The Dane has reached the last two Race Of Champions Grand Finals but if he wants to go one step further he must avenge his Bangkok defeat by Formula 1's Romain Grosjean, the reigning ROC Champion of Champions (pictured).

The ROC 2014 field includes this year's Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, who will partner NASCAR champion Kurt Busch for Team USA. The pair will have to compete against drivers including Hunter-Reay's own brother-in-law Robby Gordon, a seven-time off-road champion who has raced just about everything on four wheels.

A host of 2014 champions will join them in Barbados - including FIA World Touring Car Champion José Maria 'Pechito' Lopez, FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, FIA GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer, FIA European F3 Champion Esteban Ocon and V8 Supercars ace Jamie Whincup, who took a record sixth title this year.

The Australian will join forces with five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion Mick Doohan in the ROC Nations Cup. But competition will be fierce, not least from Team Scotland's pairing of 13-time F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard and Williams F1 official test driver Susie Wolff, ROC's first ever female competitor. Also in action is the Mercedes F1 team's reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, who became the youngest ever DTM race winner this year and was fastest in November's Abu Dhabi F1 test.

Or perhaps host nation Barbados (Rhett Watson and Dane Skeete) can surprise all the racing royalty assembled on the island with a win in front of their own fans?

For the stars, there's no place to hide. It's a knockout tournament so mistakes prove terminal - but there's no blaming the machinery because everyone gets the same kit. They all believe they're the best but there can be only one 'Champion of Champions'. So who will come out on top? Watch next weekend's Race Of Champions at Bushy Park Barbados to find out…

Tickets for ROC 2014 are still available at www.bushyparkbarbados.com/roc-tickets. For access to high-resolution imagery - including the driver image displayed in this press release - please visit www.raceofchampions.com. You can sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions and #ROCBarbados on Twitter.